Alone Together
by Rach CD McKenzie
Summary: AU LP Set in a Foster Home in Tree Hill, will an emotionally closed off Lucas finally learn how to let people in when a mysterious new girl arrives at the foster home? Will she be able to adjust to her new life? FINALLY UPDATED
1. Chapter 1

A/N Okay this fic is VERY AU.

_Set in a foster Home in Tree Hill. Lucas is 16, he has been in foster care for 12 years after Karen killed herself when he was three and left him with Dan who abandoned Lucas and disappeared. Lucas is a loner, he just reads and listens to music and doesn't really have any friends. Think beginning of Season One Lucas but a bitter, angrier person. _

_So when Peyton arrives at the foster home after her Dad is sent to prison for fraud Lucas' life is turned upside down. _

_This fic is basically about the pair of them struggling to get through High School, both being outcasts and both haunted by their pasts. Can Lucas help Peyton adjust to her new life? Can Peyton break through Lucas' shell and teach him to let people in_

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Lucas watched through the window as the other kids shrieked and laughed, running around the garden trying to escape the cold blasts of water emanating from the hosepipe.

He sighed and rolled over on the couch, leaning his head against the arm rest and looking up at the ceiling. He was the oldest one here, the only person close to his age was 13 and a girl and he wasn't exactly going to have an in-depth serious conversation with a 13 year old.

So mainly he just kept himself to himself and he liked it that way. If he had no-one, there was no one to hurt him, no one to abandon him. People always leave.

He pulled on his earphones and turned up the volume on his walkman trying to block out the laughing from outside. This was how his life was, he was in a house with 6 other children and two adults but the whole time he just felt alone. He was alone.

He had been in the fostering system for 12 years, being bumped around from home to home practically his whole life. He'd get put into a family and then he'd get taken out of one, he was too much hassle for most people. They didn't like the way he didn't talk, he just sat and read or listened to music and he had never really fitted in anywhere so he was sent back and that was the things were for his whole life.

He'd watched most of the children around him get taken away into loving families and they had never come back. At 16, he knew there was no chance for him. Afterall, who wants to adopt a teenager? A cute baby or toddler maybe? But a 16 year old? He'd just stay here until he was 18 and then he'd hit the road and make a life for himself.

Some people called him a loner, a nerd others a badboy because he smoked and he wasn't afraid to hit someone if they were out of line but most people just thought he was just weird because he read all the time, was rarely seen without headphones on, he had no friends and rarely spoke…

As he paused the track he was listening to he heard a knock at the door. Must be the new girl he thought. They were told this morning that a new girl was coming and they all had to welcome her into the house. They knew the drill. It would be another kid that would stay here for a while before moving away and living happily ever after.

Even though he couldn't really talk to the kids, even though he didn't hang out with them all the time they did have some sort of relationship. If they needed help, he'd give it to them. If they were getting bullied or if some kid was picking on them he'd sort it out. Even though he was the older quieter one they always seemed to look to him for help and protection and he gave it to them, because he knew how it felt to be alone.

No one really spoke to him unless they needed something but he didn't mind. He was better off by himself anyway. He could hear Jack and Emily, the owners of the group home, talking to someone at the door and he sighed and started playing his music again, the new person was here then.

XxxxX

Peyton swallowed as she looked around the hallway she was standing in, she could hear children laughing and screaming outside as she looked around. So this was her new home? She thought sadly.

The woman talking to her seemed nice enough but she just didn't want to be here. She wanted to be at home, in Wilmington in her own house. She wanted her dad. Why did she have to do this?

"So Peyton, your room is upstairs. We've given you your own room because we didn't think you'd be too thrilled to have a room with one of the younger kids." The woman said with a smile and Peyton forced a weak one back, she wasn't too thrilled to be here, period.

How could things have got so messed up so quickly? Just a few weeks ago she would be sitting at home with her dad and now she was in a house full of strangers.

"Um…am I the oldest here?" She asked. She didn't think she could cope with living in a house full of 6 year olds.

The woman smiled.

"Oh no, Lucas is the same age as you. He's in the living room right now…I'll get him to show you around" She said whilst Peyton just nodded silently not sure how to respond.

The smiley woman walked across the hall and peered through a doorway.

"Lucas? Peyton is new here, I'm just sorting out her room. Why don't you show her around? Be nice okay?"

Peyton stood there awkwardly, her hands in her pockets as she heard one half of the conversation going on. This all suddenly felt so real, the past week she had been wishing this would all be a dream, wishing that her Dad would still be at home and she would be with him, not in some foster home at the age of 16. Why couldn't she just live at home alone?

The woman re-emerged and shot her a warm smile.

"He's just in the lounge right now. I'll just be upstairs if you need anything. I know this must be hard but things will be okay." She said and Peyton forced a smile.

"Yeah." She said weakly. How could they be okay? Her dad was in prison and now she had no one.

The woman smiled again and walked off up the stairs leaving Peyton alone in the hallway. She looked over to the open door, she could hear the TV and she sighed. She didn't want to do this…

Lucas sighed as he sat up. He didn't want to show some kid around the place. He barely even remembered his first stay in a foster home, the only thing he remembered was waking up in an unfamiliar room with another kid sleeping in the bed next to him and being grateful he wasn't sleeping on the floor again.

H heard someone walking through the door and swallowed as his gaze fell on the girl in front of him, her golden blonde girls framed her face as she looked down, her hazel eyes shining slightly, her black t-shirt clung to her tightly and her hands were shoved into the pockets of her jeans. She looked up as he entered and their gazes immediately met. He stared at her for a few seconds, both of them just staring in silence before he looked away and cleared his throat.

"Hey." He mumbled

"Hey" She replied looking the guy…Lucas…up and down. If she weren't in these circumstances she would have thought he was cute but that was the last thing on her mind right now.

"I'm Lucas." He said and she nodded silently.

"Peyton."

She stood there for a while in silence, not sure of what to do next before Lucas cleared his throat and looked back up.

"You can sit down you know." He sat motioning to the couch and she nodded and walked over, sitting down on the large, rather battered old couch.

He looked away and picked up the remote not sure of how to start a conversation. At least there was someone his age around here now he thought as he began to flick through channels, searching for something to watch so he could have an excuse to sit there in silence without having to talk.

Peyton watched as the boy flicked through hundreds of channels, never settling on a particular show. She looked away and sighed. Well this was a great start. She thought darkly. As he continued to flick she could feel herself growing more and more irritated.

"Can you stop that?" She asked, annoyed. Lucas stared at her before frowning.

"Whatever…there's nothing on anyway." He said tossing the remote to her, she glared at him…great now she was living with a dick. She switched the TV over to Kerrang and set it down..

She looked up at the ceiling and sighed to herself. She just wanted her Dad…She didn't want to be here.

Lucas stared at her and sighed. She was pretty quiet, well she wasn't exactly going to be talkative on her first day here…and he wasn't the most sociable of people. He sat up and looked across at her, aware of him looking.

"Yes?" She asked. She didn't mean to sound so rude but honestly she didn't care right now, she was pissed off that she had to be here. Lucas swallowed.

"So why are you here?" He asked

She blinked and stared at him, slightly taken aback by how forthright he was.

"Sorry, what?" She asked.

"Why are you here? Everyone has a reason."

She stared at him and he sighed, sitting up.

"Okay, take Tom…that boy over there." He said gesturing out the window.

"He's here because his mom was a crack addict and he got taken away from her, no one knows where his dad is so he was put here. Amy, that blonde girl to the left of him, her parents died in a car crash two years ago…So, why are you here?" He asked suddenly realising this was the most he had talked for about a month.

Peyton frowned and looked away. Should she tell him? Of all people she was probably safest telling someone here, afterall they all had similar backgrounds right? Maybe it would be good to get things off her chest, actually talk about things? She thought.

"Um…well my mum died when I was 7, in a car accident and my dad always took care of me. We had money problems and he couldn't pay the bills or the taxes so he ran some scam to put food on the table, he got caught and now he's doing 8 years just for trying to make ends meet. The judge wouldn't let me live alone because I'm a minor so now I'm stuck in her." She said trying to cut things down as much as possible, it still hurt to talk about things, especially about her Dad.

She looked at Lucas, watching for a reaction but she received nothing other than a nod, almost as if her whole story was nothing out of the ordinary.

"I'm sorry about you Dad." He said sounding as if he actually meant it. She smiled slightly.

"Thanks."

Another silence lingered in the air and Peyton watched Lucas curiously, this guy was weird, she thought. There was just something off about him, something different. He seemed arrogant, cocky but that was nothing out of the ordinary with guys.

"So, what's your story then?" She asked, leaning forward. He looked at her before looking away and sighing. He swung his legs around and stood up.

"I need a cigarette. Don't tell Jack or Emily I'm smoking, they'll hit the roof again." He said avoiding her eyes and pulling a cigarette from the packet in his pocket, he quickly left the room before she could ask anymore questions, leaving Peyton alone.

She watched him leave in confusion, why had he just completely dodged that question? So she had told him everything but he hadn't told her anything about him? What was up with this guy? Why was he so defensive?

She sighed. She had to go to a new high school in a few days, make new friends and start everything all over again. She felt her eyes prickling with tears but she blinked quickly, she wasn't going to cry. She was stronger than that.

XxxxX

Lucas took a long drag on the warm cigarette in his hands and leant against the wall.

There was something different about the new girl. She's his age but he knew she would probably talk to him here but as soon as they went to school she would ditch him like everyone else and he would be alone. But if he distanced himself, didn't let anyone in then there was no one to abandon him. He wouldn't get hurt. If he didn't let her in he'd be okay.

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A/N Loved it? Hated it? Let me know, drop me a review and tell me if you want me to continue! 


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them : ) Here is chapter two

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Peyton stood there and looked around the small room, the room that was now her bedroom. She eyed the lime green walls with vague distaste and sighed as she sat down on the bed. She looked down at her open suitcase and swallowed.

Her gaze was immediately drawn to the small photo frame that lay on top of her clothes, reaching forward she picked up the frame in her trembling hands and looked down at the smiling faces. She ran her fingers across the smooth, cool glass and swallowed with difficulty.

Hot tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision as she looked down at her father's smile, his arm around her shoulder.

She couldn't do this, she was stuck in some foster home whilst her Dad was stuck in jail for just trying to do his best for her. She felt so alone, she had no one anymore. People always leave.

Tears tracked down her face as she hugged the photo to her chest and cried. Sobs wracked her chest and throat, tears dazzling her as she leant against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest and burying her head in her hands as she cried desperately. She cried for her father, for her old life, for her friends, for herself.

She didn't want to be here…

XxxxX

Lucas swallowed hard as he listened to the muffled sobs through the thin walls. He felt a stab of sympathy for her, to have to go through this, being old enough to be aware and knowing what was going on must be hard. He stared up at the ceiling, thinking to himself.

Should he go in there? Try and comfort her? Or would that just make things worse? He didn't exactly have the best people skills in the world and what would he say to her?

'Sorry your dad's in jail but don't worry, this place is great!'

He couldn't say anything, he'd only upset her more.

Anyway, why did he have such a desire to comfort her? He didn't even know her! He sighed and rolled over, adjusting his pillow. Why couldn't he stop thinking about this new girl? He knew even if they got to be friends she would leave or ditch him as soon as they went to school and heard what everyone said about him.

The freak, the loser, the weirdo, loner.

She'd soon be sucked into THEIR crowd so he didn't want to bother getting his hopes up.

XxxX

Lucas walked out the back door and pulled out a cigarette from the packet in his back pocket, pulling out his lighter he shielded the flame from the biting wind and lit the cigarette.

Drawing it to his lips he inhaled deeply and walked around the back of the house, slowly letting warm smoke out from between his lips. He stopped as he spotted Peyton sitting at the bench, hunched over a sketchpad with a pencil in her hand.

Intrigued he wandered over casually, flicking the excess ash of the end of his cigarette he leant against the wall opposite the bench and watched her, both in silence. She was sketching, her hand moving expertly across the paper as he craned his neck, trying to see what she was drawing.

She stopped and looked up, meeting his gaze. She looked at him questioningly and he swallowed.

"They're pretty good." He said eyeing her other sketches that were spread out across the table. She smiled slightly.

"Thanks."

He took another drag before walking over, blowing smoke out near her face and she wrinkled her nose against the smell. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, Lucas just watching her drawing and smoking.

She skilfully began to shade the drawing, aware of his presence behind her but oddly she didn't mind. Usually she hated people watching her draw. Suddenly she remembered something that had been bugging her.

"Hey, you know yesterday? When I asked you about your story why did you just walk out?" She asked, turning around and looking up at him curiously. He looked at her and sighed. He flicked the butt of his cigarette into a bush and looked down at the floor.

"I didn't want to talk about it. That's all." He said drawing his gaze up to meet hers and she couldn't help but notice the slight sadness in his eyes and she knew not to bring it up again. She simply nodded and turned back to her drawing. Falling back into silence, but oddly it was a comfortable one.

He pulled a rather battered novel out of the back pocket of his jeans and opened it.

"Hey do you mind if I read whilst you draw?" He asked waving the book. She shook her head.

"Knock yourself out."

He smiled slightly and sat down on the bench opposite her and flicked to the dog-eared page. He glanced up at her from the top of his book and looked away quickly as she met his gaze.

XxxxX

Peyton looked up as she heard a soft knock on her door and sat up.

"Come in?" She said. The door opened and Emily stepped in holding the phone and Peyton eyed it hopefully…maybe it was her dad?

"It's your dad on the phone Peyton." She said with a smile and Peyton couldn't help but grin as she took the phone. She had missed the sound of his voice.

"Hey Dad?" She said

"Hey Sweetie." He replied and she smiled as she heard him, she had missed him so much. She had been so worried.

"How are you doing? How is the new place?" He asked, she could hear noise in the background and she swallowed wondering what exactly she should tell him. That she hated being here? That all she wanted to do was go home?

"It's fine, the people who run it are really nice." She said trying to sound cheerful.

"So how are you?" She asked, gripping the phone. She just wanted to know if he was okay or not, she still hadn't gotten used to the fact he was in prison.

"Oh I'm…managing." He said and she could tell he was lying. She swallowed hard, a lump in her throat.

"You shouldn't have to manage Dad! You shouldn't be in here, it's not fair!" She cried, her voice breaking. She felt tears starting again in her eyes and she blinked quickly.

The line was silent for a while and she heard her dad sigh sadly.

"I'm sorry Peyton." He said softly

"It's okay." She mumbled in reply, wiping her eyes.

"No it's not Peyton, I let you down." He said quietly and she felt tears tracking down her cheeks. She bit back a sob, she didn't want him to know she was upset.

"I start school on Monday." She said trying to keep her voice steady and change the subject, her hand shaking slightly as she gripped the phone.

"Oh great, you'll have to let me know how it goes." He replied and another silence hung over the line.

"Well I'm sorry Peyt but I have to go. Take care of yourself."

Peyton swallowed

"Yeah, you too." She replied her voice cracking

"I love you."

"I love you too Dad." She whispered before hanging up the phone.

She let tears roll freely down her cheeks and she sniffed, shaking as she pulled her pillow from her bed and hugged it close. She looked up and through the gap in the doorway she saw Lucas stop outside the door and look at her, standing there for a few seconds before offering a small smile and walking on past.

She watched him walk away and cried softly. She didn't want to be here…She wanted her old life back.

* * *

A/N Sorry it was short and not a lot happened but I'm still trying to set the scene, the next chapter is more eventful as Peyton starts school and learns more about what life is like for Lucas


	3. Chapter 3

Peyton looked up at the large building in front of her as people jostled past her, talking in their little groups as she stood there alone. She swallowed hard and looked around her, she felt so alone, so lost. She didn't have a clue where to go or what to do.

She looked around, trying to peer over the crowds of people. Where was Lucas? Emily said he would show her around but she couldn't see him anywhere…asshole probably abandoned her to go and hang out with his friends or something. She thought as she walked slowly forward.

She didn't want to do this again, go to a new school, and make friends again. She liked her old school, her old friends.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she whipped around only to be face to face with Lucas who offered her a wry smile which she returned.

"Hey, sorry I was late I uh…I had something to take care of." He said and she raised an eyebrow but nodded, grateful to finally find someone she knew…well sort of anyway.

"It's okay…I kind of don't really know where to go." She said, slightly embarrassed.

"No problem." He said walking off leaving her to jog to catch up with his quick pace. He led her through a crowd of people who gave her an odd looks, obviously realising she was the new girl.

She watched as Lucas pulled out another cigarette and lit it. She frowned, he smoked at school?

"They kill you, you know?" She said catching up to him. He turned to her and raised an eyebrow, blowing smoke near her face.

"Really?" He asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. She frowned, what was his problem? Why did he switch from being vaguely nice to an ass in the space of ten seconds?

Seeing her expression he softened slightly.

"Sorry, I'm just…not looking forward to another year of school" He said darkly, she looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"Me neither."

They walked through the busy hallway in silence, Lucas still smoking and conversation seeming to have dried up. She watched him curiously…he hadn't said anything about seeing her crying the other night, in fact he hadn't said a lot since then really. He always seemed to have his guard up, ready to shut anyone out as soon as they spoke to him.

She just didn't get him.

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Peyton walked down the corridor trying to figure out the timetable she had just been given. She was aware of Lucas reading over her shoulder and she was grateful, maybe he could tell her where any of these rooms were…

"Looks like I'm in a lot of your classes." He mumbled and she looked across at him, part of her was happy because she had someone she knew but the other part dreaded it, she bet he was a smart ass in classes or just a dick who joked around with all the guys.

"You can show me around then." She said.

"Are you sure you want me to?" He said questioningly. She looked across at him in confusion.

"Huh?...Well I don't really want to get lost and be wandering around the school like an idiot so…yeah." She said furrowing her brow in confusion, what was he talking about?

He looked away from her and sighed, fiddling with the earphones that were dangling around his neck.

"But you're new and people will…never mind." He said, sighing exasperatedly.

"I've got to go; your first class is in the room to the right hand-side." He said as he walked briskly down the corridor leaving her alone again. She dug her hands into her pocket and watched him disappear with confusion…what was up with him?

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Lucas shoved his books in his lockers and closed it with a slam making the smaller girl next to him jump slightly before scuttling away timidly. He sighed and swung his rucksack over his shoulder and stalked off down the hallway. His morning had sucked as usual. God he hated this place and all the people in it. They were all so fake and shallow.

He felt someone slam into his shoulder causing his bag to slip off and he stumbled slightly, looking up he came face to face with Nathan Lee…

"Watch it. Freak." Nathan spat, sneering at Lucas whilst he just glared in return. Both Boys shared a mutual hate for each other, Nathan was the captain of the basketball team and your typical Jackass jock and they had hated each other from day one.

Lucas plucked his backpack from the floor and looked at Nathan.

"I can see you've become even more original over the summer." He remarked as Nathan looked at him with distaste.

"Whatever loser, go crawl back under your shabby little rock and take your little band of unwanted rejects with youn said with a smirk. Lucas rolled his eyes before grabbing Nathan's shirt collar and shoving him up against the lockers with a bang. He drew his face closer to his as Nathan grinned tauntingly.

"Don't push me Lee." He warned lowly, his blue eyes blazing as he let go of Nathan and walked off down the corridor to the sound of Nathan's and his friend's laughter.

Peyton watched as Lucas stormed off, slamming the door behind him. She swallowed and looked over to the crowd of jocks. Maybe he didn't hang out with the people she thought he did…

She walked off down the corridor thinking to herself. Her first couple of classes had gone okay, she had ended up talking to a girl named Brooke, and she seemed pretty nice. A bit shallow but friendly all the same. She still felt lost though and just having Lucas for company wasn't exactly the best. She still hadn't been able to adjust to everything, it still felt like she would wake up and this would all be some horrible nightmare.

She walked out the doors and spotted Lucas sitting on a picnic table by himself, his legs resting on the seat and his earphones on. She watched him for a while as he sat by himself. Why was he sitting alone? She thought as she headed over.

He spotted her and looked up but didn't remove his headphones.

"Hey." She said. He looked up again and merely nodded in recognition, she had known him long enough to figure out he went into moods and he obviously wasn't in a good one at the moment. She sat down next to him and they just sat there in silence for a while.

Neither were able to think of something to say to each other. She just found it so hard to talk to him. He was so defensive and she was stubborn which wasn't a good combination…

"So who do you hang around with?" She asked in a feeble attempt to start a conversation. He looked up and removed his earphones and frowned. He was silent for a while, looking thoughtful before he sighed and looked across at her.

"How were your first classes?" He asked changing the topic. Why did she ask so many questions all the time?

"Why do you always avoid my questions?" She asked, crossing her arms.

He swallowed and looked at her in surprise. He paused and looked down at his shoes. How did she always find ways to make him feel awkward? She always asked awkward questions that he never wanted to answer…he'd never ask her those questions because he knew she wouldn't want to answer.

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

She sighed again loudly. How did he managed to irritate her so much, but at the same time he made her so curious. He was such a mystery…

"There you did it again." She said. He was about to reply when he was cut off by someone calling her name. She turned around and saw a familiar brunette calling her and waving to her. She smiled and waved back but upon hearing Lucas scoff she turned around.

"What?" She asked.

"You're hanging out with Brooke Davis?" He asked incredulously.

He should have known she'd end up one of them and he knew soon enough she'd end up hating him like they all did. They couldn't work him and out and they couldn't manipulate him or scare him so they felt threatened and they all hated him. Soon enough she would too.

"Yeah, she seems nice." She said knowing it would piss him off. He frowned and looked away laughing slightly.

"Brooke Davis is not Nice." He said with a laugh.

She looked at him, annoyed. What, did he think he was better than everyone else or something? Maybe he wasn't as nice as she thought he was…

Hearing Brooke calling her over she looked at him before walking off to their table and leaving them alone.

Lucas heard his heartbeat in his ears as he watched her leave. Why couldn't he stop himself from being such a dick to everyone, no wonder he had nobody…no wonder everyone left him.

He actually thought this girl was real she wasn't fake or shallow…she was a real person and he was already pushing her away…

He sighed and turned up his music. Maybe it was better this way, this way he couldn't let her in…he wouldn't be disappointed.

Peyton sat down at their table and glanced over at him with a sigh. She thought he might actually be someone she could talk to, someone who would make everything seem not so crappy, but maybe not.

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Peyton sighed as she looked around the packed room, music blaring and the baseline reverberating through her entire body. She sipped tentatively at the beer in her hand and desperately looked around for someone she knew. Brooke had invited her to the party and she had agreed to come but now she was regretting it. It wasn't really her scene, drunken teenagers making out with anyone and everyone, smoking pot and leading each other off to the bedrooms.

Oddly enough, even though she hadn't spoken to Lucas since their "argument", she sort of wished he was here. Then he could stand here and moan about the how fake all the people here were, how stereotypical or at least just stand here with her so she didn't look like a complete loner.

She couldn't help the fact that he got on her nerves but that was because, whether she liked it or not, they were similar. She actually found herself missing talking to him, he was the one person who understood what she was going through.

She swallowed another mouthful of beer and leant against the wall, watching Brooke stumble drunkenly past with a crowd of cheerleaders, all shrieking with laughter. She just felt so out of place.

She looked up and spotted Nathan stumbling over to her, a beer in his hand and obviously hammered. She folded her arms and shifted uncomfortably, not really wanting to talk to him after his display with Lucas and especially if he was drunk.

"Hey…Hey..Peyton." He slurred, standing in front of her and looking her up and down, his eyes lingering on her breasts causing her to swallow and shift again slightly, growing more uncomfortable by the second.

"Hey Nathan." She mumbled, looking away hoping he would take the hint that she wasn't interested in talking to him right now.

He grinned at her lopsidedly.

"You enjoying the party?" He asked, moving closer to him. She wrinkled her nose, smelling the alcohol on his breath. She could feel her heart beating rapidly as she looked around for something to get her out of standing here and talking to him.

"Not really" She replied listlessly, unable to meet his slightly unfocused gaze as she looked around for someone she could go and talk to instead. Nathan took another swig from his cup and grinned again.

"Well I can change that for you." He said, leaning forward. Before Peyton knew it his lips had clamped down upon hers in a rough drunken kiss. Horrified, she drew back sharply and pushed him back causing his beer to spill. He looked at her in surprise as her heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears, the music suddenly seeming even louder. She could feel colour rising in her cheeks as everyone turned and looked at her.

"What? What's wrong Peyton?" Nathan asked seeming unabashed by his rejection. He leant forward again, brushing her cheek roughly with his hand. Peyton recoiled and batted his hand away.

"Get off me!" She cried, shrugging his arms away from her shoulders and moving to the side. His drunken smile quickly changed to a scowl as he looked at her. She just wanted to escape; she knew she had made a mistake coming here.

"Why not?" He asked bitterly and she took another step backwards, the look on his face scaring her slightly.

"Because you have a girlfriend Nathan." She protested still looking around for someone to jump in and save her.

He shrugged nonchalantly, his grin coming back as he forced his lips roughly upon hers, alcohol clouding his mind as she cried and shoved him back violently, her skin crawling with disgust as she slapped him hard across the face, her nostrils flaring with anger as her cheeks flushed.

"Don't touch me you bitch! You'd think that you would want the attention, stuck in that house for rejects because nobody wanted you." He spat angrily.

The room seemed to have suddenly gone silent, everyone staring as Peyton felt tears pricking in her eyes as he pointed out her worst insecurity.

"I was just doing you a favour; everyone else thinks you're a freak."

His words hit her like a slap in the face, stinging as she looked down at the floor. She swallowed hard and blinked back tears, normally she would fight back with an angry sarcastic comment but he was voicing her fears and insecurities, pointing out everything she worried that people would think of her. As Nathan began to launch into another bout of verbal abuse he was suddenly cut off and a loud crash caused Peyton to look up.

The place where Nathan had been standing was now empty, he was lying on the floor and groaning slightly whilst everyone else just stared at him in shock.

"Leave her alone."

The familiar warning voice made her swallow hard as she saw Lucas, standing over Nathan, his fists clenched and his teeth gritted. She suddenly felt a wave of relief and a rush of gratitude towards him for pulling her out of this…

"Are you okay?" He asked, turning to her. The anger melting away and his eyes softening as he looked into her tear-filled eyes. She suddenly felt breathless, he was here. She nodded numbly and before she had a chance to reply Nathan had leapt to his feet and thrown another well-placed punch into the side of Lucas' head, causing him to stumble into a table.

Both boys, now overcome with rage launched into a vicious fight, punches being thrown at every angle, both of them shoving as the crowd just stood and watched. Peyton couldn't think of any way to stop it, feeling so helpless as Lucas took punches because of her. He had stepped in even after she had ignored him for a week…

Nathan slammed Lucas heavily into a wall, hitting his head hard on the brick he blinked away dancing spots and quickly head butted Nathan, causing him to reel back dizzily. Gaining the advantage Lucas quickly punched him again before catching one in the nose from Nathan. He was dimly aware of hearing something snap before feeling a warm rush of blood flowing down his face. Rage consuming him he punched Nathan hard in the face, his knuckles burning as Nathan hit the floor, out cold.

Silence enveloped the room, everyone stunned that the " freak", the "loner" had knocked out the cocky jock. Peyton watched as Lucas held the sleeve of his hoodie up to his gushing and clearly broken nose. He looked at her briefly before turning and stumbling out of the room leaving her alone with dozens of pairs of eyes staring at her.

Her blood pounding in her ears she quickly ran after Lucas still stunned. She needed to find him…

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Lucas sat on the bench watching the river flow beneath the silvery moonlight, still holding his sodden sleeve up to his nose which was now throbbing with pain. His ragged breathing and the trickling of the river water was the only sound that pierced through the night air.

Why had he done it? He knew fighting with Nathan always ended badly and for what? Over a girl? But she wasn't just a girl and he knew that. He had seen him laying into her, trying to kiss her and it was like something had just snapped. He didn't know why but he just had this urge to look out for this girl, even though she managed to annoy the hell out of him.

There was just something about her, that made him want to protect her, something in her eyes, in the way she spoke…

He sighed, the pain sharpening slightly as he tried to breathe in through his nose…shit, it was definitely broken. How was he supposed to explain this to Jack and Emily? All because of a girl

He could hear the sound of footsteps on gravel and he looked up slowly, thinking that with his luck it was probably a police officer or something…but it was someone far more daunting…

"Peyton?"

* * *

A/N Thanks for the great reviews! I hope you liked the chapter and please tell me what you thought! 


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N There is no excuse for abandoning this story. I hope people will still read as I plan to continue with this properly. Hope people will catch up and drop a review**

Peyton let out a shaky sigh as Lucas looked down at the floor, blood still pouring from his nose as he held up his sodden sleeve to stem the flow. She couldn't help but feel a surge of guilt, it was her fault he was hurt.

"I'm sorry Luke." She said her voice trembling as she shivered slightly. He looked up and she could see a bruise already forming under his eye. He offered her a weak smile.

"It's okay." He mumbled, his voice muffled through his sleeve as he winced, his whole face throbbing with pain. He watched as she looked at him and moved closer.

"No, no it's not. Look at you…let me see." She said, taking another step forward. He shifted back slightly, beginning to feel uncomfortable. He didn't want her to feel guilty, it wasn't her fault. It was Nathan's for getting drunk and acting like an ass. He hated seeing people being picked on. Especially Peyton.

"Come on; just let me take a look." She said he sighed, reluctantly pulling his hand away from his face causing Peyton to wince as she looked at the blood and the bruises. He had gone through all of this for her…Not many guys would do that, maybe he wasn't the asshole she thought he was.

"I…I think it's definitely broken." She said quietly. He nodded, her hands on his face causing him to shiver slightly, her touch was so soft.

"Yeah I…I think I heard it." He said with a slight smile which she couldn't help but return. She quickly dug some tissues from her bag and handed them to him.

"Clean yourself up, you look gross." She said with a smirk. Lucas grinned, thankful she was making a joke out of it.

"Thanks, so I defend your honour and this is how I am repaid?" He said in mock annoyance. Peyton laughed and slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

Why couldn't they get on like this all the time? There was a long period of silence in which Lucas cleared up his face and Peyton watched, hands in her jeans pockets and shifting from foot to foot. She watched him, what was it with this guy that made her feel so…confuse?. She couldn't tell if he was being serious half the time or if she liked him or hated him…

"You didn't have to do that for me." She said quietly causing him to look up and meet her gaze. He stared at her, looking into her eyes.

"Yeah I did."

She frowned, watching as he went back to dabbing gingerly at his nose, wincing every now and then.

"Why?" She asked, moving over so she was sitting next to him on top of the bench. She shivered again, the wind chilling her. He let out a sigh and looked up at the sky, watching as the clouds drifted over the stars. Why did this girl always seem to get further in with him than anyone else? No matter how hard he tried she always found a way of making him let her in…

"Because…because you didn't deserve that."

Peyton smiled and looked down at her hands, wringing them out as another silence fell between them.

"You know me and Nathan used to be friends, when we were younger?" Lucas said suddenly, breaking the silence and looking across at Peyton whose mouth fell open in surprise as she raised her eyebrows.

"What?" She asked. They used to be friends…

"Yeah, we played basketball together." He said with a distant smile, looking over at the hoops on either side of the worn court.

Peyton knew he was opening up to her and she wasn't going to let the opportunity to escape her, he was such a mystery and she just wanted to figure him out.

"What happened?" She asked softly.

Lucas let out a long sigh and leant back slightly, dabbing at his nose again as more blood trickled down his face.

"He uh…well he got popular. At first it didn't really affect anything, we still played out here on the court together but then…I guess people found out who I was, where I lived and they made fun of me. Nathan didn't want to know anymore because…it might ruin his reputation. Hanging out with a reject." He said, spitting out the last word bitterly as Peyton listened intently.

"He changed so much. We never used to hate each other, we just didn't talk anymore. But then I started standing up to him, when he was being a jerk to people because I knew that he used to be a good guy. So now he hates me because I'm the only person who isn't afraid of him, because I know stuff about him that nobody else does, stuff that might possibly, sometimes make him a good guy. And he doesn't like it." He said his smile fading.

"So, when I heard him saying that stuff to you, I guess it just bought some stuff back you know? Stuff he used to say…still does actually." He said lowly as Peyton nodded numbly. Now she understood why they hated each other so much. How could Nathan have just ditched him like that? Lucas definitely wasn't the person she thought he was…

She thought he hated Nathan because he was popular, a jock…an ass. But he had a reason to, a good one and that was why he hated popular people. She swallowed hard wishing she hadn't had fallen out with him over being friends with Brooke…

They sat there for a few minutes, the sound of the river and the trees in the air as they shared a comfortable silence.

"Luke?" She asked softly causing him to look up, his blue eyes shining slightly in the moonlight.

"Yeah?"

"What…what happened to your parents?" She whispered. She waited, half expecting him to blow her off again or change the subject, but he just sat there and looked at her. Swallowing hard he took a deep breath and turned away from her, looking out at the river.

"My mom got pregnant when she was 17. My Dad wasn't interested in being a father so he left her to do it by herself. She kept me and raised me alone but when I was three she uh…she killed herself, because…she…she couldn't cope." He stammered, his voice trembling slightly for the first time. Still unable to meet her eyes he took another breath and continued.

"They found my Dad and I was put with him for a while but he wasn't interested in looking after me, he had never wanted me. He was a drunk, hung up over my mom and his mistakes, apparently he hit me a couple of times, and broke my arm but mostly he just couldn't take care of me. He didn't feed me and he left me by myself in the house for weeks on end. The neighbours found out and called the police and I was taken away and put in here." He finished listlessly, his voice sounded slightly thicker as he swallowed hard and looked down at his feet, avoiding Peyton's gaze as she blinked back tears, suddenly realising how lucky she was.

She was going to see her Dad again eventually; her dad loved her and cared for her. Lucas had no one.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, he looked up and forced a weak smile, his eyes glistening.

"Don't be, it's not your fault." He mumbled. He had just told her everything, something he had never told anyone else in his life and he barely even knew the girl…why did they have this…connection? It just felt like he could tell her things and she wouldn't judge him.

"When I was first put in here…people tried to take me in, foster me or whatever but…it never worked out. People didn't want me, I was damaged goods. As a got older, I had trust issues, people couldn't handle me…nobody wanted me." He said, his voice barely above a whisper as it wavered, his eyes blurring with tears…

"I've been stuck here…nobody wants me, people always leave because I drive them away." He cried silently, tears beginning to track down his cheeks as a sob rose in his throat. He didn't know if it was the beers he had drunk or the 12 years worth of pent up emotion, bottled up feelings were all beginning to come out once…he had never told anyone any of this and suddenly, one girl was pulling it all out of him and he couldn't stop…it was all true, nobody wanted him.

Sobs wracked his chest as tears dazzled him, crying for his mom, for the life he could have had…for the childhood that was taken from him.

Peyton swallowed hard, tears in her own eyes as she watched the boy break down in front of her, the boy she thought was so tough, who didn't feel anything, didn't let anything get to him was sobbing. Instinctively, she reached forward and pulled him into her arms, shushing him gently and rocking him like a small child as he cried in her arms.

"It's okay Luke…it's okay. It's not true.." She whispered her own voice cracking. The whole time he had just been waiting for someone to ask, to find out if he was okay…nobody had ever cared. But she did.

This boy who she had thought was such an arrogant ass, who she had barely had a real conversation with was breaking down in front of her.

He gradually quietened down and he drew back, his eyes red and watery as he looked down at the floor. She stared at him, her heart hammering in her ears.

"Lucas, it's not true…I'm here, I'm here for you." She muttered softly. He shook his head.

"No, you'll leave like everyone else."

She felt her heart ache for him …looking into his pain-filled eyes she reached forward and took his face in her hands, drawing forward, their lips meeting softly in a warm kiss. She didn't know exactly why she was kissing him, what had made her do it…maybe it was to say thank you, to make him feel better, to let him know she wasn't leaving and he wasn't alone, or maybe, it was because she wanted to…

He drew away, frowning at her in confusion before kissing her back hungrily, cupping his hand around the back of her neck and drawing her closer as the kiss deepened, both losing themselves in each other…

**A/N I know it might seem rushed but I thought this is the way things should happen. Please drop me a review. The next chapter will take place a few months later. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Thanks for the reviews guys! I really appreciate them, when I said this chapter takes place a few months later I meant in the story not when I was going to update it : -) Hope you like this!**

Peyton opened the door to the living room and she let a smile creep across her face as her gaze rested on Lucas sitting in the armchair by the TV, headphones on and a book in his hand. He was nodding his head steadily to the beat and was clearly absorbed in his book; he hadn't even noticed her enter the room.

She crossed the room and it wasn't until she was standing directly in front of him and her shadow passed over the page he was reading that he looked up and noticed her. As soon as he laid his eyes on her a smile broke across his features.

"Hey." He said, pulling a headphone out of one ear. She waved her hand at him as a signal for him to move over and he obliged, moving over slightly so there was room for her to sit. She frowned, looking at the tiny space he had reserved for her.

"Luke, I know I'm fairly slim but I'm not a toothpick. Move your lazy ass over some more." She said with a smirk causing him to roll his eyes playfully and move over further. Satisfied she collapsed down onto the chair next to him and quickly plucked the headphone he had removed and popped it into her own ear.

"Ooh the Fray, good choice." She said with a smile which he returned, slipping his arm around her and pulling her closer. They sat there for a while both absorbed in the music and comfortable in each other's arms before Peyton peered over, studying the book Lucas had in his hand.

"So what're you reading stinky?" She asked causing Lucas to look up and frown.

"What? Stinky? Number one, when did this nickname happen? Number two, what are you like 5? And Number 3, A View from the Bridge." He said throwing her a fake glare which caused her to laugh.

"Well, the nickname started…just now. I've decided I don't like your new cologne." She said with a playful smirk. Lucas dog-eared the page he was reading and shut his book, turning to face Peyton with a glare.

"Well fine then, I don't like your perfume. It smells like…flowers." He said struggling to think of the appropriate remark as Peyton looked at him somewhat dubiously, trying to force back a smile as she tried to pull off a convincing annoyed expression.

"What is wrong with flowers? And you said you liked it!" She said folding her arms as he grinned at her.

" I don't like flowers and maybe I was just trying to spare your feelings…stinky." He added under his breath causing Peyton to laugh. She loved it when she could just joke around with him like this; since they had been together her time here had been so much better…He had opened up more but occasionally he was his usual broody self and he was still a bit of an ass at times but she had grown to love him.

She reached out her hand and swung it down to hit him playfully but he caught it in mid-swing, pulling her closer he planted a soft kiss on her lips, causing her to grin and kiss him back. They didn't even notice the door open until they heard a loud of chorus of…

"Eeeeew"

Springing apart, they looked up to find a large crowd of the younger kids gathered in the doorway, staring at them both as if they had sprouted two extra heads.

"You were…Kissing!" Carys, one of the younger girls said in hushed and horrified tones causing Lucas and Peyton to laugh.

Since they had gotten together, both of them had become happier people. Peyton had helped Lucas to come out of his shell and to lower the walls he had built up around himself and he had helped her to get settled in here and to let people in. She had never been in a relationship like this and they had only been together for 3 months.

As Emily entered the room the younger children scattered off laughing and screaming leaving Peyton and Lucas alone with Emily standing in the doorway.

"Hey Emily." Peyton said as Lucas cleared his throat and wiped Peyton's lip-gloss away from his mouth.

"Hey Peyton, Lucas." She said with a smile.

"Peyton can I have a quick word with you?" She asked causing Peyton to frown. She quickly started wracking her brain for something she could have done wrong, she already knew about sneaking into Luke's room, coming home late…but she didn't know about the vase. She nodded and got to her feet, following Emily out of the room and shooting Lucas a quick confused glance which he returned with a shrug.

Once they were out of the living room Emily turned to face Peyton and fixed a smile on her face which Peyton nervously returned.

"So I wanted to talk to you about something, something important." Emily began, causing Peyton to swallow hard, beginning to feel nervous. She really couldn't remember anything she had done to get herself in trouble…

"Peyton, do you remember when you first came here? I explained to you that this is just a temporary place, until we can find you a more stable foster family to stay with until your father is released or you go off to college." She began softly. Peyton felt a sudden lurch in her stomach, she remembered the conversation and she remembered back then being glad that she wouldn't be staying in here long but now…why was she bringing it up?

"Um yeah." Peyton replied nervously as she studied Emily's face in some hope of finding out where this was going, praying it wasn't what she thought it would be…

"Well Peyton, there is a family, do you remember the couple you met last month? Well, they want to foster you and we think it would be really good for you." She said.

Peyton frowned, swallowing hard as she looked down at her shoes. Was she being serious? Someone wanted to…to foster her? But…she didn't want this, she liked it here, she had a life, she had Lucas. She didn't want to move again! Have to start over again.

"I know you're settled and you've become really um…close with Lucas and you've done wonders with drawing him out of his shell but…we think that a more stable environment will be more suitable for you. Somewhere where you can settle and not worry about people coming and going and where you can start again. The family are really nice, they live in Florida and they have…"

Peyton held her hand up and quickly cut her off, still trying to let everything sink in and unable to fully process what exactly was happening.

"Florida?" She asked loudly. It was bad enough when she thought she was moving out of this place but to Florida? That was so far, she'd never be able to see Luke. She'd be further from her Dad and she'd just scraped together a new life for herself. Why were they doing this to her now?

"I don't want to go. I don't want to leave here, I like it here. I've made friends; I have a school, a new life. What about Lucas? What about my Dad?" She asked, her voice rising as tears pricked in the corner of her hazel eyes. She could feel her hands trembling as she wrung them anxiously.

"Peyton I know, but I told you this could never be permanent." She replied softly, trying to show some sympathy for the girl.

Peyton blinked quickly, not wanting to let this woman see her cry. Lucas was the only one allowed to do that.

"But what about Lucas? He gets to stay here. Why can't I stay here with him?" She asked desperately, her voice trembling ever so slightly with emotion as she struggled to cage it all back in.

Emily sighed and folded her arms.

"Lucas is different…" She said causing Peyton to feel a flare of anger.

"Why? Because nobody wanted him? Because they think he's damaged goods? Well he's not! I love him and I want to stay here with him, or at least in Tree Hill so I can still see him!" She yelled, her voice cracking as she fought hard against the sob that was rising within her.

She realised that was the first time she had ever said she loved Lucas aloud. She had known she had strong feelings for him for a while but saying it aloud really made her realise it was true. She loved him. He was the only person who had ever been there for her, who understood how she felt and what she was going through with her parents. She didn't want to throw that away.

"I'm sorry Peyton, but you're a minor and there isn't enough…"She started but she was soon cut of by Peyton again.

"No you're not sorry, you don't care. If you did then you wouldn't be making me do this." She whispered, tears finally escaping from her eyes as she turned and ran out of the hall. Tears streaming rapidly down her face before she ran straight into someone.

Looking up her eyes met Lucas' and she quickly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly as she finally released, sobbing openly into his chest as he quickly hugged her tightly, rubbing her back and shushing her.

"Hey, hey…Peyton what's wrong? What did she say? Is it your Dad? Is he okay?" He asked softly as she sobbed in his arms, he could feel her trembling so he pulled her closer. Her breath hitching she turned her face to look up at his, her eyes red and tear-filled.

"They…someone wants to foster me and…they…they're making me go…go to Florida! I don't want to Luke…please, I don't want to leave. I want to stay here and be with you." She said between sobs as he soothed her gently, frowning as he listened to her.

She was going to leave? She couldn't leave…not another person in his life, especially one he cared about so much. In the few months he had known her he had gotten closer to her than anyone in his life, he somehow managed to let her in because he knew she understood, she wanted him for who he was and she saw past his exterior.

With her he could be the person he wanted to be. He didn't have to put on a defensive, cold front.

He held her for a few moments longer as she quietened down, her sobs diminishing to silent tears and sniffles as they moved into a quieter room. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and looked deeply into her teary eyes.

"Peyton, I don't want you to go.." He whispered sadly, looking into her eyes he knew he couldn't lose her.

" And I don't want to leave you Lucas." She replied, the whole thing still sinking in.

There was a long silence as she settled back into his arms and he hugged her tightly, both just standing there in the comfort of their embrace, holding on to each other. Suddenly Lucas swallowed and looked down at Peyton.

"Then don't." He said causing Peyton to draw away and look up at him with a frown.

"What?" She asked confused. Didn't he understand that Emily said she had to go? She didn't really have a choice in the matter which made things worse…

"Don't leave." He said firmly.

"Lucas I can't. They're making me…" She said softly, traces of tears still on her cheeks. Lucas shook his head and took her hands, his heart racing as he looked down at her.

"No I mean…leave. Leave here…with me." He said quietly, his eyes shining with apprehension as she swallowed, suddenly dawning on her exactly what he meant.

" You mean run away?" She whispered studying his face for any sign that he might be joking but when she looked into his eyes, she knew he was serious about this. Her heart started to beat a little faster as she thought about it..

"We could just disappear, live alone. Just me and you against the world and we wouldn't have to be stuck in the system any more." He said quickly, his mind racing at just the thought of it. He knew he sounded a bit radical and extreme but he didn't want her to leave and he didn't want to be stuck here without her…

"But, do you think it would work?" She said allowing herself a tiny smile as she felt her stomach jittering with nerves and excitement. Lucas squeezed her hand and smiled.

"Well it's worth a try isn't it? I don't want you to leave and you don't want to go." He replied. She smiled again rubbing his hand softly.

"Money?" She asked. She didn't know if this was a good idea or not, half of her wanted to do it just so she could be with him, so she wouldn't have to be alone again, in a new place with no-one. But the other half was thinking about the practical side, money, where they would live, school, jobs?

"I have a load saved up from a construction job I pulled in the summer. That could get us started, and then we could get jobs, find a place that's cheap or stay in hostels for a while until we're on our feet?" He said, all the details finally falling into place. Peyton smiled and looked away before laughing slightly and looking back towards Lucas she knew it sounded a bit extreme but she would rather do anything but leave without him. She'd be with Lucas, on the road.

"I…I want to do it." She whispered as Lucas grinned, she kissed him swiftly on the lips before kissing him again, wrapping her arms around him as they kissed passionately, lost in each other.

They were really going to do it, they were going to leave…together.

**A/N Okay this is where the story takes another direction and I hope you like it, it will be some drama! The next chapter will take place in the future as well, a few weeks after this one. Please Review!**


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